Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), according to current knowledge, is an encephalopathy caused by prions. Prions are infectious protein particles which cannot be readily destabilized by conventional substances attacking nucleic acid and have high stability toward chemical and physical influences. Cleaning and disinfection of medical or surgical instruments and apparatuses which are possibly contaminated with prions is therefore problematic. In the literature (Bundesgesundheitsblatt July 1998, 279-298), it is proposed to decontaminate instruments contaminated with CJD material using 1 to 2 M NaOH for a period of 24 h, or by steam sterilization for a period of 1 h at 134° C. Alternatively, decontamination using the highly toxic guanidinium thiocyanate is proposed. These decontamination processes are extremely complex and cannot be carried out in the routine preparation of instruments.